[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Now unbeaten in three but winless in five, if the last week was a barometer of Albion's prospects for the season, then its needle was ever so slightly falling. Granted, it could have been different: another couple of minutes holding the line at the Kassam would have yielded a solid four points from back-to-back away matches, but as it is, there's a familiar feeling dawning that the playoffs may once again be a more realistic aim for us.

Still, the sunshine of optimism may return on Saturday if we're capable of returning to winning ways against the division's current form team. Though the first two months of the campaign were their worst ever start to a football season, and the third-worst of any Championship side in twenty years, leaving them bottom of the league at the end of September and costing manager Erol Bulut his job, no side in the Championship has amassed more points so far in October than Cardiff's 10 under interim boss Omer Riza. They've edged a tight contest at Millwall, battled to a point at Bristol City, put Plymouth to the sword 5-0 and finally seen off Portsmouth in the week, and now outside the relegation zone, the Hawthorns is just the latest stop for what presently looks like an unstoppable Bluebird express. In contrast, for Albion this is already the driest spell of Carlos Corberan's tenure in terms of points return, and while we're not party to Shilen Patel's expectations for the season, there may be just a hint of pressure over our own train getting back on the rails.

Given the form of the two sides, it's certainly not inconceivable that Cardiff could notch up a first league win in West Bromwich since December 2009; failing that, a point would doubtless satisfy them more than us. But we need that all-important win from somewhere, so it's down to Carlos to find some answers again.